Speed Gibson

My favorite show for a number of reasons, Dancing With the Stars, is back for its fourth season. Unfortunately, it's off to poor start.

The array of stars isn't as stellar, and they only got four weeks, not six for basic training. It sounds like a budget cutback, like most movie sequels, and it shows. The band seems flat, and so far, I haven't heard any of the creative arrangements of past seasons.

Plus, various cues are being missed, microphones aren't being potted up on time, and cameramen are getting caught in the shots. The impressively tight productions are gone. It's still a pretty good product, but no more.

Maybe things will pick up now. I hope so.

Mitch Berg might have already filed his best post of 2007. He might be shorting us a little NARN air time, but he went long beautifully here.

I gave up fisking Nick Coleman over a year ago. His columns are predictable, so fisks tend to also become predictable. I blog for recreation, and this was becoming more work than play.

Here, Coleman continues in his role as DFL/EM acolyte, but by adding another layer of non-sequiturs, his column conveniently lists all of the "concerns" of the educrats over charter schools. Mitch covers it all. I especially like this translation:

Coleman: [Charter schools ...] have not significantly outperformed traditional public schools.

Translation: [The Charter Schools] did perform better!

It's a lengthy post by SITD standards, but well worth the time.

In listening to a recent edition of Tony Garcia's "Race to the Right" on KNSI 1450 St. Cloud, I heard that the musical Bye Bye Birdie was being performed at the historic Paramount Theatere in downtown St. Cloud. This is my wife's favorite musical, so I took her up there for lunch and the show.

The theatre was great, a classic, and the performance by St. John's Prep School well above expectations. We had a great experience, plus, parking in the ramp was free and concessions only $1-2.

Thank you, St. Cloud!

Sanjaya is still alive, not even in the bottom two. My pick of the litter from last night, Chris Richardson was. All I can say is that the young audience just doesn't know the original song and cannot appreciate how much he improved it.

Where was Haley? Safe again, while Stefanie Edwards gets the boot. I guess this is what makes this show so popular.

Ah, but Chad the Elder made the KSTP Eyewitness News tonight in his fight with St. Louis Park's planned showing of Al Gore's phony documentary.

I'm clearly in the minority, but I think this was the first week where the boys took best in show. No, not Blake Lewis, but Chris Richardson, who performed "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying." I wasn't a Gerry and the Pacemakers fan back then, and this song sounded dated even in 1964. Chris brought it forward beautifully, maybe missed two notes barely.

The power females came up a little short, but Sanjaya is still there so they should be safe tonight. LaKisha went nowhere with "Diamonds Are Forever" and the judges nudged her a little for a poor song choice as Lulu predicted. Jordin Sparks got raves for her torch song, but I didn't feel any emotion in it, just a pretty good vocal, i.e., a better audio than a video.

Melinda was a little off her game, too, not that the judges cared. She missed a word, and didn't sell me any more than Jordin did. Plus, her outfit wasn't exactly becoming. Gina Clocksen was entertaining as always, but not quite there vocally.

Haley sang better than last week, dressed minimally, but is still Sanjaya's best hope of survival.

Somewhere around 1965, our enlightened goverment took over Twin City Lines, Inc., a profitable, private city bus enterprise, one that charged just 25 cents, one that was buying new buses to replace its aging fleet. Obviously they were doing it all wrong, and we needed public ownership to make the right decisions.

Not that they'll ever admit that they maybe they weren't the experts they presumed themselves to be, but the results nearly 40 years later are appalling. A rush hour ride now costs $2, and the total cost per ride is well over $5 a ride. The latest failure of course is the Hiawatha Line, which probably loses far more per passenger mile than the old #7 bus line it replace. We don't know, for the Metropolitan Council doesn't publish these figures, or so local talk show hosts complain.

And now, it's more than just a money pit. Riding public transit in the 21st century is potentially hazardous to your health, i.e., you might get shot. Not that I need to, but any thought of riding the #5 bus south of Lowry is out.

A private business would consider adding new lines or service levels, probably at higher cost to cover the higher expenses. How about new or more service that bypasses high crime areas? Or if a section of line is proving uncontrollable, reroute it and service the bad area with a new route with added security thoughout?

Thoughts like this don't fit the "mass" transit mindset, of course, so we won't see any of that. Instead, we'll see mostly PR and perhaps a few more random sightings of Transit Police, all in the hope that these problems will disappear, at least off the front page.

What does Mitch Berg of NARN radio fame have in common with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, former President Jimmie Carter, and Senator John McCain? He's making his own deals.

The past couple of NARN broadcasts, Berg has quietly slipped in an extra 2+ minute spot for a financial firm that is hosting a "seminar" next week, one time after the music. This week, Mitch brings one of the principals on the air for a whole segment, and strangely, without Captain Ed.

I hope Mitch understands this is the lightest of criticism for one I admire so, but I do think he has crossed a line here. Unlike live remotes at the car dealer, which are pre-announced and have redeeming radio value, this was unannounced and was basically just dead air. Hugh Hewitt has done this, too, to be fair.

As I understand it, our NARN fellows work gratis unless at a paid remote, so it's hard for me to complain. But in terms of my ability to recommend the show to others, it has cheapened the brand.

What a difference a day makes. Ryan Seacrest shaved and looked great tonight. Diana Ross knows what stage presence is all about, as she told several contestants yesterday. She made an entrance and took the stage convincingly, even if the voice isn't what it once was.

It wouldn't be American Idol if all those teenage girls didn't flood the phone banks. Sanjaya's hair (and poor us) will be back. So will pretty Haley. But Brandon had no "brand" - good but oh so average on stage - and he's gone.

There's never a fashion cop around when you need one, know what I'm saying, dog? Here it is, the first night with the big set, the big band and the final twelve singers, and host Ryan Seacrest comes out looking something like Clem Kadiddlehopper. To be fair to Red Skelton, Clem looked like he was supposed to.

That suit, however expensive, was probably last seen in the late sixties or so. Retro works, though, or would have had he not found an ugly mud colored shirt with an oversize collar to go with it. At least he wore a necktie, but again, an absurd color choice that didn't match either the shirt or the suit.

Fine, maybe that's what they're wearing these days on the coast. But to also come out like you haven't shaved since the Daylight Saving time change, the famed Seacrest perma-scruf look, just shows no class.

The singing, drawing on the many hits of Diana Ross, wasn't great overall, and it still looks like a LaKisha / Melinda finale. If they're safe, America can do no wrong, but hopefully Sanjaya will be sent home tomorrow. Even though Haley was just as bad, legs trump hair I suspect.

As a personal note, I am happy to report that I crossed the 75 pound mark on my Weight Watchers diet. It's been tough of late but I now have my third refrigerator magnet.

I also finished up walking all the streets of Columbia Heights, city number 15 in my hobby of the past five years. I'm doing St. Anthony Village now, then on to New Brighton.

I actually started asking this question shortly before I even heard of the British documentary I just saw. I've seen more and more scientists dispute "Global Warming" and even an article here and there starting to question the whole business.

If I'm right, maybe it's former Vice President Al Gore we ultimately have to thank. Yes he's got his Oscar, but his claim of twenty foot rises in sea levels are, er, melting. Even the UN is backing down on this one. Oh, and the Canadians report the polar bears are doing just fine, thank you.

Then there's this folly of carbon credits as giving him dispensation to use many times the energy of us commoners. Nobody is accepting that one.

And now, we have this wonderful documentary the alarmists will have no answer for. Gore couldn't even answer the 90 second rebuttal on his hour long Oprah appearance, retreating on his claims about Greenland and Antarctica. In fact, I sensed he knew that Antarctica is really gaining ice, not melting away as he claims.

So let's encourage Mr. Gore to make even more appearances!

I just finished watching The Great Global Warming Swindle, the British TV documentary. It exceeded my every expectation. Like the old movie trailers would urge, "You must see this film!"

Conservatives may not like everything we see, for this program blames Margaret Thatcher and George H. W. Bush for giving the Global Warming Climate Change movement its first big push. Thatcher wanted nuclear power rather than be dependent on militant union miners and Middle East Oil.

Liberals won't like the ending segment on Africa, i.e., the Malthusian consequences of the "enlightened" energy policies being imposed by those who believe in man-made global warming.

Science is apolitical, and the science presented here is convincing and clearly presented. Current "findings" like Al Gore's correlation of CO₂ and temperature are calmly and expertly dispatched by a Who's Who of top scientists in their fields.

Finally, this is just first rate production. The pacing, writing, graphics, subtle music, quality research, and professional narration are masterfully edited into one of the best and most needed documentaries I've ever seen.

The collapse of the KTLK morning show is complete, with Andrew Colton leaving, to be replaced by John Hines starting March 19. My smattering of regular readers may remember the reviews of Twin Cities morning radio in which I found a modest preference for this new station's first attempt.

I liked it, or at least preferred it, but the ratings rule. Kelly Guest was released last year, along with callers and any serious discussion of topics beyond 90 seconds. Traffic and weather breaks increased. It's now a frenetic chase like WCCO-AM. This is such a shame, because Guest and Colton together were probably the smartest duo.

I hear Hines fill in for Colton last month, and he did a decent job with the format's limitation. I keep wishing for a more calm experience, like Bill Bennett, but I also want it to be a local show.

I'll set my Pogo recorder to begin taping Mr. Hines, and see where he fits among the other offerings.

If you lie, you can still win, and win big. How? By lying about the right things to the right people. A fine example this sets for our children.

Former Republican, former Majority Leader, former State Senator, and current serial liar Dean Johnson has been named a Regent of the University of Minnesota. The DFL Legislature in fact rejected two of the four Pawlenty picks to make room for him. Peter Bell isn't good enough? Dean Johnson is?

I can't label this as anything but what it so obviously is: a serious, irrefutable case DFL corruption.

As I posted Wednesday, Bill O' Reilly's web site has been down, under attack in fact. Quoting his site:

"BillOReilly.com was attacked repeatedly by a malicious technology called a "botnet." This means that the site was bombarded by data that overloaded our firewalls. We had to take the site down in order to protect it, and so we could make sure that every possible countermeasure was being taken."

Laura Ingraham's site was also attacked it appears, as she acknowledged on air. It wasn't as severe, but had her site down or slow several times during the same interval.

It's one thing thing to mess with Laura Ingraham. She might be more upset, but Bill O'Reilly is the one this hacker really shouldn't mess with. O'Reilly has the lawyers, guns, and money to find the people responsible. In fact, he'll make a segment or two on his TV "Factor" out of it that alone will pay his expenses here.

Maybe the hackers are at it again. Both Laura Ingraham's and Bill O'Reilly's web sites are malfunctioning. I listen to both of these via mp3 download, so I'm finding time to listen to Townhall and Live 365 music.

Bill O'Reilly's site has been down almost two days now, completely dark, even the free side. But they rolled out a new look Monday morning, which had some problems, so maybe they took the whole thing behind the wall to repair it.

Laura Ingraham's site hasn't been attempting any changes, but it's been struggling, too, the past couple of days. I couldn't download Monday until this morning, and yesterday's program still eludes me, with the site down hard now. Maybe she uses the same hosting as O'Reilly.

Ah, but Rush and the rest seem OK. It's amazing to see Rush's mp3's download at about 9.2 megabits/sec, even on my home wireless network. What a country!

Author and St. Paul Pioneer Press alumnus Mark Yost thinks the Vikings are leaving. Here's an edited transcript of his argument in the last segment of Taxpayer's League Live this past Saturday. This began after Mark and hosts David Strom and Margaret Martin reviewed the current political situation now that the Anoka proposal fell apart.

Locally, the picture is pretty bleak for the Vikings to get a new stadium. Here's what's going on in the NFL. The NFL was hit hard by Katrina, and here's why. They were all set to move New Orleans, the Saints, to Los Angeles. The Saints were at the end of their lease at the Superdome, the fans were not that great, everything was all set. And the NFL wants nothing more than to have a team in the number two market in the country.

Well, they can't move the Saints. It would be a public relations nightmare. It would look like they were abandoning the city. They don't want to award an expansion franchise because it would create an odd number of teams which screws up scheduling. So they're looking for a team to move, and the team that is the most unhappy with their current stadium situation is the Vikings.

"Ziggy" doesn't have any roots here. So I seriously believe that you will see the Vikings probably move in the next two to three years. It would be a great deal for "Ziggy." The League will pay a vast majority of the moving costs. The League is going to give them low interest loans to build a new facility in Los Angeles.

If you look around the League, and you stick to this theory that they don't want an expansion franchise, they want somebody to move, the Vikings are the team to move.

Our State Republicans are missing a great opportunity to promote the GOP brand, and really just by doing the right thing. Quit talking and start walking real per diem reform.

Let the DFL set whatever per diem they want, and draw it without receipts. The GOP should huddle and agree to obtain and present receipts for their meals and incidentals, just as they would have to do in the private sector.

After the session, run the tape, calculating the average DFL vs GOP payouts. Also show how much was paid out for weekends, when the Legislature is not usually in session.

Ditto the housing allowance. Spend a few nights in a budget hotel now and then. Maybe the GOP could arrange for some group rates for its members to save still more money.

Just do it, and let the DFL do the talking, trying to explain their excesses.

What is weather? Here are five definitions I found in online dictionaries.

• The state of the atmosphere with respect to wind, temperature, cloudiness, moisture, pressure, etc.


• The state of the atmosphere with respect to heat or cold, wetness or dryness, calm or storm, clearness or cloudiness.


• The state of the atmosphere at a given time and place, with respect to variables such as temperature, moisture, wind velocity, and barometric pressure.


• The conditions in the air above the Earth such as wind, rain or temperature, especially at a particular time over a particular area.


• The state of the atmosphere with regard to temperature, cloudiness, rainfall, wind, and other meteorological conditions.

These are passive definitions. If wind, temperature, etc. were constant and/or totally predictable, there wouldn't be much to talk about. I prefer the active definition I learned in eighth grade science:

The variations in the atmosphere resulting from unequal heating of the Earth.

Yes, weather is solar powered. For example, when one area gets too hot, a pressure imbalance develops and the wind blows to equalize the pressure.

Now, what is climate? Here are five online dictionary definitions.

• The composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years.


• The average course or condition of the weather at a place usually over a period of years as exhibited by temperature, wind velocity, and precipitation.


• The meteorological conditions, including temperature, precipitation, and wind, that characteristically prevail in a particular region.


• The general weather conditions prevailing in an area over a long period.


• The general weather conditions usually found in a particular place.

I italicized two commonalities in the above. First, climate is essentially an average, the composite, prevailing, general weather usually observed. Yes, we expect cold and snow in a winter climate, but it is the actual cold and snow that makes it a winter climate.

Second, climate is local, for a particular region, place, area, or place. There really is no such thing as a global climate. The Sahara, the Arctic, and Des Moines all have significantly different climates, such that any further summation is pointless. About the only variable one can attempt to meaningfully average is temperature, and even variations in that are not binding on a specific area.

The "Global Warming" crowd seems confused on these points. They too often say in effect that a nebulous "global climate" drives local climate, which in turn drives the weather itself. This is completely backwards.

Even the "global climate" - whatever that is - is simply a compilation. The unequal heating of the Earth is what creates what we commonly call weather, not the average heating. The Earth's 23.5 degree tilt of its rotational axis vs. its revolutionary plane gives us seasons. Its slightly elliptical orbit varies our distance from the sun by a million miles or so. And of course its rotation gives us night and day. Unequal heating will always be, and the atmosphere will respond accordingly.

Believe it or not, I think our state Representatives and Senators are underpaid. The era of a citizen, part-time legislature is over. The way they are paid is also dated.

Currently, they make about $31,000 per year, plus an in-session per diem that was recently raised, apparently illegally per the Minnesota Constitution. Outstate members can get a $1,300 monthly housing allowance. They also qualify for a public pension.

Here's what I propose:

1. A salary of $50,000 per year, effective with the 2009 session. Salary begins as soon as you as elected, ends on election day when you lose or retire. Salary is pro-rated for partial years served, such as for special elections.


2. Newly elected members receive one month of additional pay up front for transition. Departing members receive one month of additional pay for every year served, again as transition.


3. The per diem is abolished. Reasonable expenses are reimbursed by submitting expense reports, just as in the private sector which eliminated per diems decades ago. Entertainment expenses receive particular scrutiny, just as in the private sector. Expense reports must be submitted promptly. When approved, a one page summary of every expense report is made public information.


4. The public pension is abolished, replaced by an equivalent IRA option. As the USA Today reported, less than 20 percent of private sector workers receive pensions, while more than 80 percent of public workers do. This makes it easier to transition between public and private sector employment.


5. The housing allowances (and car allowances or similar if any) are eliminated. Such expenses are expensed as they occur, with appropriate justification, particularly when not in session. I acknowledge that this could raise the total amount of money spent, but it avoids arbitrary rules like the 50 mile radius and promotes transparency.


6. Legislators are covered by a $25,000 (50%) life insurance policy.


7. Health care benefits continue as is, comparable to other state-wide office holders.


8. No other benefits, including disability insurance are provided.


9. As a full time, salaried position, there is no sick leave nor the means to accumulate unused amounts for later compensation. There being obvious, ample opportunity for personal vacations each year, there is no formal paid time off policy nor the means to accumulate unused amounts for later compensation. There is no premium pay for weekends and off hours.


10. A bonus of $10,000 (20%) will be paid to each legislator when they get their work done on time, by April 30th in odd years, by March 31st in even years. On time means both chambers adjourn sine die.


11. An additional bonus of $10,000 (20%) will be paid to each legislator if no special session is called.


12. All salaries and bonuses are indexed for inflation (CPI) for a lifetime maximum of twelve years in the Legislature, in either chamber.